Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps her Department is taking to advise farmers on safety measures when spreading fertiliser.

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has responsibility for the regulation of health and safety standards on Great Britain’s farms. Fertiliser is typically spread with machinery which is mounted or trailed behind tractors and powered by the tractor’s power take-off (PTO) drive shaft. HSE has published guidance on how to safely use machinery of this type, this includes safe use of tractors, safe use of work equipment, machinery maintenance and working on slopes, all of which is available from the HSE website at http://www.hse.gov.uk/agriculture/index.htm .

HSE also works with the farming industry through the Farm Safety Partnerships to promote vehicle and machinery safety messages, including those relevant to fertiliser spreading.